The Opposition of Flames and Ice
by redpandaj
Summary: Oh, crap, please don't tell me she just escaped right out from under my nose. My client is gonna kill me. Zutara.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, ya'll. I know I probably shouldn't start one story while I'm still working on another, but my muse told me to, so I am. Hope you like it.**

Chapter 1

***Katara's P.o.v.***

I was always the one that had to be responsible, the one that lead and took care of everyone else. That was just how I was. All through out school, college and even after that, my friends always saw me as "the mom" of our little group.

Which was why it was so odd for me to be walking down a dark alley way in the middle of the night. I wasn't even sure why I did it, but the flask of water at my side was enough to reassure me against anyone that might be stupid enough to try to attack me.

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Our story really starts five years ago, my first year at college. I was young, having graduated early from high school at sixteen. I had met a man then, with black hair, nice blue eyes, and a toned body with tanned skin.

He was much older than me, a fourth or fifth year at least, and very suave on top of that. I fell hard, and I fell fast.

That made it only harder to lose him after I found out he was cheating on me, though he said again and again that it was nothing, that I was mistaken, but I had seen him making out with a tall red head at a bar. He even tried to make the excuse that he was drunk and had lost control of what he was doing, but I knew better than that. It wouldn't be the first time he had gotten a younger girl drunk so she wouldn't remember that she had slept with him when she woke up the next morning. He had actually tried it on me once, but I had always been able to hold my liquor, me being a water bender, and I froze him to the wall to teach him a lesson in manners. Needless to say, he didn't try it again.

And it wasn't like I ever even slept with the guy, because he had been trying to pressure me into doing it, but I never had, being underage. I transferred colleges to one across the country, and tried to forget about him.

Which brings us back to why I was in a dark alley way in the middle of the day in the first place.

I had seen him again today, for the first time in five years. He had been with a pretty brunette, even though she was rather short, and I had seen a ring on her left hand. I had ducked into the alley to try to avoid the both of them, though I was debating on whether or not to tell her about her husband's cheating record.

But even if he had seen me, I doubt that he would have recognized me at all. I had matured a lot since then, both physically and mentally. My bending had been passable at that age, but years of physical training to use my body as a weapon along with all kinds of liquids had hardened me, and I was now considered one of the greatest masters in the world.

I used to have dull brown eyes and my hair cut into a bob at my earlobes, but now my hair is well past my waist, and my eyes are intense and expressive.

My height had also changed, along with my shape. I had been pretty curvy as a teenager, but my body was now more muscle that anything, and I was at least six inches taller than I had been.

Even if he hadn't recognized me, I still didn't want to have to run into him again. I didn't even use a name when I have to talk about the guy. He was just "that-one-idiotic-jerk-that-I-refuse-to-name" and that was how it had been for a long time. I wasn't about to change his status, either, which was another reason I didn't want to meet him.

So I walked down the dark alley, being the idiot I usually don't act like. Alleys really aren't as bad as you think they might be, besides the fact that they're very dirty because no one feels the need to clean them at all. I mean, think about it. Why would they want to? You could hardly drag someone into an alley way and beat them if it was squeaky clean and white-washed. It just wouldn't work.

There was one problem with this one, though. I realized as I got to be about half-way down. The alley dead-ended. Crap. Now I would have to hide by the front of the stupid thing until he and his wife left. If she even was his wife. They might just be engaged, for all I know.

Or not. I hadn't been trained almost all my adult life to not be able to sense when people that wished me ill intent were nearby and coming to get me.

How stupid did they think I was? I'm a trained water-bending master, and I have water with me. Plus the fact that I had a secret weapon I could use if I needed to, but I hoped it wouldn't come to that. (Besides the fact that no one but the woman who taught it to me and I were supposed to know about it. She died a few days after the secret was passed on, and I was all that was left of her legacy. Or so I thought. But if she **had** told anyone about it and didn't tell me, I would find a way to resurrect the old crone and kill her myself.)

I could sense at least one fire bender and several earth benders, which was actually rather odd. Most mercenaries, which was what I expected my attackers to be, were either air or earth benders. There aren't enough water benders as it was, so we tend to like to keep to ourselves.

Fire benders have a different reason, though. It seemed to go against their code of honor to be hired guns, but the occasional one did pop up here and there. It was usually some kind of high ranking person that has fallen out of grace, and they didn't know what else to do for money. It was also out of the ordinary for earth and fire benders to work together, because they don't tend to get along well with each other at all.

The ground started to move beneath my feet, a gentle rolling at first, then a harder, more aggressive motion that was almost like a small, controlled earthquake. Well, I might as well make it as hard for them as I possibly can. I couldn't move very well on the ground, and so I jumped onto a nearby metal dumpster, then swung up to a cat walk just above it.

In the entire alley, it was the best defensible position. The earth benders would have a hard time trying to sense where I was through all the metal, and they would have to be in line of sight to know where to send projectiles to hit me. That took away their advantage to be able to fight me and still not be seen. Also, it gave the fire bender I was likely to face less room to maneuver. Fire bending moves were longer and more aggressive, whereas I could stand in one small area and still have room to move around with my element around me.

I never really got a chance to see how much the ground would have given me an advantage, however, because I felt a small prick of pain at the back of my neck, and I felt myself go woozy.

:** Sleep darts are cheating**.: I thought indignantly as my eyes started to close. My last image was shaggy raven black hair and golden eyes staring into mine, and I blacked out.

***Zuko's P.o.v.***

The princess was actually smarter than my report and description of her led me to believe. She hadn't screamed and panicked like most nobles do when the earth started to move, and she showed some kind of tactical training when she swung up onto the catwalk over the alley.

Which lead to my first question. What the heck was a woman of royal birth doing in the middle of a dead-end deserted alley way without her entourage? My report had lead me to believe that Princess Hitalanie was very sheltered, and rarely on her own.

Not that it was really any of my concern. She was only a package to be delivered, and a payday to be collected.

Still, I couldn't help but notice the brilliant blue of her eyes just before they closed, and the gentle curves of her body as I supported her weight. She was actually very beautiful, but I pushed that to the back of my head as I carried her down the catwalk. You can't get close to people with the job I have. One way or another, they would end up leaving you.

**Do you like? Let me know what you think. Review, it equals love.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Just so you know, the couple that Katara saw in the previous chapter was Toph and Aang. Anyways, I hope you like chapter 2.**

**I don't own Avatar: Last Airbender, even if Zuko is trapped in my closet.**

Chapter 2

***Katara's P.o.v.***

My first conscious feelings were soft and warm, and rocking back and forth slightly, almost like I was in a large cradle. It was so silky, and I just wanted to lay there in comfort.

But my body had other ideas. I could feel an emptiness in my stomach, and my head hurt like crazy. I realized that I needed to get some water, but I really didn't want to get up.

Someone shifted from across the room, and I suddenly knew I wasn't alone. My breath deepened, and I opened my eyes slightly, the lashes just covering the fact that I was more awake than I appeared to be.

A man sat in a chair next to me, apparently asleep, but I couldn't tell if he was faking it or not, because there was a sword that hung loosely in his grasp.

I shifted my gaze from him and looked around a little more. I was in a small, metal room, and I guessed we must be on a ship somewhere. I could tell that I had been kidnapped (Duh!) for some reason, though why someone would want to abduct me escaped my knowledge completely.

Now, if I was a captor, what would I least expect my captive to do?

***Zuko's P.o.v.***

Before I even managed to realize that the princess was awake, she attacked me, pulling me into a hug as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Oh, you must be my new therapist!" She cried, hugging me even tighter.

"I have so much to tell you! I ran into my ex just yesterday and found out he was married to a woman I didn't even know! Life is so unfair, and the world hates me!"

"Um…" I said, too surprised to really say anything coherent. "I'm… sorry about that?"

"Oh, thank you so much! You're the sixth therapist this month, and they all ran away. You won't run away, will you? Please don't leave me alone in here. I don't want to be by myself. Don't leave me alone!" She looked at me with panicked eyes, grabbing the front of my shirt in a death grip.

"I won't?" I said weakly, more a question then a statement. Holy cow, this chick is nuts! No wonder they told us it wouldn't be hard to get to the princess. She had probably driven everyone crazy just by being in the same room with her!

She looked at me with a quivering bottom lip, and I couldn't help feel bad for her.

"Can I have some water?." She said, giving me a very cute pout. **:Dang it, Zuko.: **I thought.** :Don't think she's cute! You can't get involved with her anyway.:** **Mental smack**

"Princess Hitalanie, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean-"

She cut me off with a mournful wail. "My new therapist doesn't want me to take a bath! I'm gonna get all dirty, and I lost all my nice clothes! Someone stole them!" She looked at me then, tears starting to gather at the corners of her eyes. "You didn't steal all my nice clothes, did you?"

"Oh, no, Princess. As a matter of fact, I brought you some new clothes after we got the measurements from your tailor." Okay, it wasn't a complete lie. I had gotten the princess some nice dresses, skirts, and tops before we caught her. (The tailor wasn't a problem. I just had to convince him I was a suitor for the princess.)

"Oh, goodie! Can I see them? After I take a bath? We could have a fashion show!" Talk about multiple personalities. It was a total switch from how she had been just a minute ago. She continued on and on and on about how much she would love to try on her new clothes and take a bath.

Her high-pitched voice started to feel like a drill and hammer, constantly tapping and boring holes into my brain. Why wouldn't she shut up? Agni, but she was annoying. The sooner I got her off the ship, the better. Until then, I would have to keep her happy, at least for the moment.

"Your Highness." I cut in, interrupting what she was saying. She looked at me with those big, pretty blue eyes, **:You're doing it again. Don't think she's pretty. She's a captive, for Agni's sake, you idiot!:** almost like she was going to cry again. Oh, please, anything but that. Please don't make her upset. It was hard enough to deal with female royalty without them being hormonal.

"Would you like to take a bath now? We can have a fashion show if you want to, but I might need to take some time to organize it for you. It could be fun."

***Katara's P.o.v.***

Oh, gosh, I couldn't believe this idiot was even falling for my insanity act. Though I suppose being trained to act like an idiot even when you aren't helps quite a bit.

He wasn't buff, more wiry and lithe than anything, with nicely colored golden eyes. (I can look, can't I?) But there was a flame-shaped scar that cover the upper part of the left side of his face. I knew then that this was no ordinary firebender, this was a banished noble of some sort. In any case, it doesn't pay to believe in appearances. Well, at least in my work it doesn't.

In case you haven't guessed yet, my level of intense training over the years had allowed me several body guard jobs for a lot of high ranking officials, which also got me involved in all kinds of espionage groups. I was a spy with the highest level of clearance, because on top of being a hacker, expert actress, and the ability to use some of the world's deadliest weapons with ease, I just had to break in and get whatever I needed from whoever I was targeting.

It was actually a fun job, but not at all what they make it look like on TV, of course, because Hollywood ruins everything and still gets paid for it.

This guy had no idea who or what he was dealing with, he thought I was a spoiled, bratty princess. Oh, well, he could think what he wanted. All I needed was to get on the top deck, and I'd be out of here.

"Can I, can I, can I?" I practically shrieked in pretend excitement, and I noticed the guy wince. Hehe, sucker. This was going to be fun, I almost felt bad for the guy. Oh, well. Such is the life of an espionage agent.

I never said I wouldn't enjoy giving the guy a heart attack or worse.

So far, I hadn't asked his name, not that I really wanted to know, but it might be useful for future reference. Now, how would the character that I'm playing go about asking someone their name?

"Yes, princess, you can. If you'd follow me?" he held his arm out to me, helping me into a standing position, then led me down a long hallway.

Oh, how sweet, he was acting like a concerned gentleman to a crazy person. How noble and completely fake. I actually happened to know Princess Hitalanie very well, having been a protector for her younger brother Jett, and she wasn't nearly as helpless as she leads people to think most of the time. Under all those fancy silk dresses and delicate jewelery is pure tempered steel.

Well, I guess young is a pretty strong word for Jett. I was only a few years his senior, but when he told me he liked me, I had asked for a job transfer. Getting entangled in emotional affairs with people you guard is never a good idea. He threw a fit when he found out, and did all he could to try to convince me to stay, including ordering the guards to make sure I didn't leave.

I left the day after I told him, however, so any schemes he had wouldn't have worked anyway. It's better not to give your opponent time to plan, even if they are a former client.

"Princess?" the man asked, snapping me out of my train of thoughts. "We're here, the bathroom is just through there. There should be towels in there, but I'm going to have some women servants come in and help you get your new clothes on. They'll lead you to the top deck when you're finished, so you can show all the men your nice outfits, alright?"

"Oh, that's fine. Thank you for being so nice to me. Everyone just seems to think I'm crazy, but I'm not. You don't think I'm crazy, do you? I try not to act crazy, but people always think I am anyway."

***Zuko's P.o.v.***

"Oh, of course not, Princess. I don't think how anyone could get that impression from you." Well, other than the fact that she really was nuts, but telling her that wouldn't help anything.

She walked into the room without another word, shutting the door firmly behind her. I was walking back down the hallway to get some of her new clothing when there was a loud crash from the bathing room, and a pretty alto voice shouted, "Ha! Take that, suckers! You can't keep me locked up!"

I ran to see what the heck was going on, slamming the door open to reveal a gaping hole where the wall should have been.

Please don't tell me she just escaped right out from under my nose…

**How embarrassing for our poor Zuko. I love all of you that rewiewed, I'm hoping to get a lot more. Ya'll love me, right?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't you just feel bad for him? **

**If I owned Avatar, the third season would have ended differently.**

Chapter 3

***Katara's P.o.v.***

Take that, you creepy firebender! I just escaped out from under your nose. You can't keep this waterbender in a cage, oh no, you can't.

Silly as it was, I was actually feeling pretty good about myself after out-smarting that guy.

But feeling too good can also make you mess up, so I lost the happy mood almost as soon as I got it, moving back into my neutral state. First things first, I needed to change my appearance, and I also had to find out just who that guy was, why he had kidnapped me out of the blue, and what he was planning. And there was only one place to go where I could get it all.

It was time to pay a visit to an old family friend and her husband.

***Zuko's P.o.v.***

Awww crap. My employer's going to kill me when he finds out about this, and he isn't known to be a forgiving person. I might as well kill myself now and save him the trouble.

Just then, my cell phone rang, and I checked the caller ID, then quickly answered it, it was my agent that was tailing the princess.

"Why didn't you tell me that the princess carried explosives with her?" I demanded angrily, ready to rip the man up one side and down the other for messing up so badly.

"Because she doesn't?" Jett shot back, just as mad as I was. "I've been tailing my sister for five weeks, and you still haven't caught her yet. When are you finally going to make a move? I can only stay in the palace for so long before it starts to drive me nuts. And her voice is really annoying, I seriously feel like it's drilling a hole in my brain."

"But, I kidnapped her today. She was on my ship only a few minutes ago."

"Well, then she must have some kind of teleportation power or something, because I'm looking at my sister standing on her balcony right now. Besides, how could you have kidnapped her if she hasn't left the palace all day? I should know, I got beaten at chess fifteen times in a row this morning."

"But the girl I got looked just like the picture you gave me, almost a complete mirror image. Her eyes were a slightly different color, but I thought it was just me. It's not like I had time to compare before she escaped."

Jett was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Her eyes were a really rich, deep blue, right? And she had about waist length dark brown hair?"

"Yeah. How would you know?"

"Oh, man, if you tried to kidnap who I think you just tried to kidnap, you are lucky to still be alive."

"And why is that? She didn't seem very dangerous to me."

"That's just what she wants you to think. You, my friend, have just expirienced an incounter with Katara Slade, code name Kat Baloo. She's one of the most sought after espianage agents on the planet."

"And you would know this how?"

"She was a bodyguard for me and my sister a few years ago. If I hadn't told her I liked her, she would be the one you would have to disable before you could even hope to get to the princess, and that is one girl that doesn't go down easy. You could throw an army of firebenders at this chick, and she would walk out of it without a scratch. How did she escape, if you don't mind me asking?"

"She blew up my bathroom."

"Ouch, that's gonna cost you an arm and a leg to fix. Sounds like her, though."

"So, what are we going to do about it?"

"If I know Katara, and I do, she's going to go deep underground, maybe change her appearance a little to make things harder. She's got an older brother, he lives in the Earth Kingdom with his second wife. You should probably start there."

"But why would I do that? She has nothing to do with the princess."

"Zuko, you just got a new assignment. I'll take care of my sister, but you need to go after Katara." There was a fire in his voice, and I could tell that he wanted this girl, and wanted her bad.

"You know I can't just drop an assignment in the middle. They already paid me. It would be dishonorable."

"Not if I pay three times what I know your most recient employer is giving you. Just give the money to me if it makes you feel better. Find her for me, Zuko."

***Katara's P.o.v.***

Suki wasn't at all surprised to find me in the state I was on her doorstep. Then again, this wasn't the first time I had showed up and looked like something the cat dragged in times ten.

I could usually crash here after hard missions and I needed somewhere to go that was underground and low key.

Even so, I think my looks can be comparable to Medusa at the moment. I usually don't get back from missions looking this trashed, but I guess five straight hours of water bending in the middle of the ocean can do that to you, even if you are a master.

I think I've never seen my skin with so gray a color, and don't even get my started on what my hair looked like. It took me two straight hours of washing to get all of the seawater out of it, because I was too tired to even think about bending. Suki had to wake me up after I dozed off in the bathtub.

I knew my hair would be an even bigger pain if I just left it alone, so I brushed it out, then collapsed on the bed to sleep.

In the morning I would have a chance to talk to my older brother Sokka. He had been a computer whiz ever since he had set eyes on one, which made him my best chance to find out who Mr. Creepy was.

Suki, my sister-in-law, was a professional salon artist. She was the best person I knew that would be able to turn me into a completely different person.

There would be plenty of time for it all tomorrow.

**You likes, yes? There's a button at the bottom of this page that you want to push and review, you know you want to. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I live! Don't kill me because I haven't updated in forever, but I'm making it up to you by posting three chapters in a row. You should be so proud of me.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Want to, but don't.**

Chapter 4

***Katara's P.o.v. ***

Well, so much for peace a quiet, that went out the window as soon as soon as Suki and Sokka's kids knew I was there.

I was rudely interrupted from a deep sleep as I felt something land on my legs, then crawl up to rest its small hand on my stomach.

"Wake up, Auntie Kitty, wake up!" a little girl said, pushing on my stomach to rouse me out of sleep.

"Go away, Sierra." I slurred, absently batting at her with my free hand.

"Please, Auntie Kitty?" another voice pleaded, and I opened my eyes to see my two nieces sitting on my bed.

Sierra was a six year old petit blue-eyed blonde, a child from my brother's former wife, Yue, who had been killed several years ago by a mysterious illness that couldn't be cured.

Brianne, also Sokka's with Yue, was the second youngest at eleven, just entering the embarrassing stages of becoming a teen. She was rather tall for her age, with black hair like Sokka and I's father, but had uncharacteristic green eyes. We really don't know where she got them from.

Which leads me to Li. He's seventeen, and was taken into the family when they found out Suki couldn't have any children. His parents had been killed in a drive-by, and he had been living on the streets with a gang that had tried to instigate the murder of one my clients. Because he switched sides at the last minute and warned me about the attack, his gang was unsuccessful.

He had needed to go undercover after that, and my brother had been looking for another kid, so I hooked them up. He had never been formally adopted, though. That was three years ago, and Li had been with them ever since. He had brown hair with jagged bangs and deep, black eyes.

"What time is it?" I asked, still barely coherent.

"About ten." Li answered from the door frame, which he was leaning on with arms across his chest, looking just as grumpy about it as I was. I may have been about as far from a morning person as you can get, but Li was about just as bad. That's okay, if I had to suffer through two bundles of over-happiness this early in the morning, it wouldn't kill him to do the same.

"Girls, leave Aunt Katara alone for a minute, will you? She's exhausted." Suki said, entering the room and ushering the two of them out. Li stayed until they all left, then closed the door behind them and turned to me.

"So, what was the life-threatening mission this time?" He asked, trying to sound light, but I knew he really wanted to know if I had been sent out after his old gang.

All those years of being mistreated by them, and the kid had finally managed to forgive them and worry about their welfare. I always knew there was a reason I had trusted the scared teen that came to tell me about what his gang was up to.

"Your old gang had nothing to do with it, Li." I said, and he breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"It wasn't even planned this time. A firebending bounty hunter mistook me for her royal pain in the rearness and konked me out with a dart before I could fight him.

"I suppose he thought I would be easy prey, and there's probably a big prize for nobles, but I outsmarted him and got away. Unfortunately for me, we were on a boat in the middle of the ocean. I think I probably bended for at least five hours before I got to the coast."

"A firebender? He must have been someone in a high position of authority or something and gone out of favor with Fire Lord, because they usually don't do other people's dirty work. How'd you escape him?"

"I acted like an insane idiot, then blew up his bathroom by freezing the water in the pipes. I also left a very big hole in the wall of his ship." I answered, grinning evilly as I did so. "That's gonna cost him quite a bit to fix, but it serves him right for kidnapping the wrong person."

"Geez, Kat, you're so mean to the people you outsmart. Can't you cut the guy some slack?" Li said, shaking his head at me.

"Hmm, maybe. But I need to find out who the guy is before I decide to do that. I have an idea, but I don't know for sure. He had this scar, just on the left side of his face, about in the shape of a sideways fire ball. He also had golden colored eyes and shaggy black hair, just long enough to reach the bottom of his collar. He wore a red gi top with yellow trim, and loose, deep brown pants, and he walked like a fighter, so I imagine he can do more than just bend. When I first woke up, he had a sabre in his hand, and another strapped onto his back, so I suppose he uses them as a pair when he's fighting. His body is compact and toned, which is what I would expect from a mercenary his age, and I would guess that to be around the late twenties, early thirties. I was hoping to find out who his is from you or your dad. Sound familiar?"

"No. Hey, wait a minute; I thought you couldn't tell if a person was your definition of 'toned' unless you touched them. Kat, did you touch him?" Li eyed me oddly.

"Good heavens, Li, even if I had done something with him, not only would it have been any of your business, but I am far past the age when people can tell me what to tell them without having me sign a contract with them first. And just in case you were wondering, no, I didn't do anything with him, I just sort of jumped on him as part of the act, and he caught me before I could hit him, even though he had been half-asleep at the time."

"Oh." Was all the teen could manage to say, then, "I might have a friend that knows who this guy is, but you can only meet him tonight, and only at this party I'm going to."

"Tell me more."

***Zuko's P.o.v.***

I hate it when women are hard to catch, but then again, I've always liked the thrill of the chase, and the last few of my jobs had been almost too easy. Okay, so I admit it, I thought she was really hot. And she had amazing eyes, and her hair was really silky, and I liked it when she had jumped on me, because I had felt that she was really curvy and slightly muscular, and… I'm really just torturing myself right now, aren't I? I need to stop it with the self-abuse.

Alright, so I need to come up with a plan, which would be… Never mind, I can't even concentrate on anything coherent at the moment, I was too distracted by the thought of the gentle swaying of her hips as she had walked next to me, her bare toned calf brushing my leg while her deep blue eyes had been lost in thought.

**:Dang it, Zuko, stop already!: **My inner voice yelled at me, furious that I was being such an idiot. **: You're twenty-six, not sixteen, and you certainly can't act like a love-sick teenager to this woman, she'll take you down in almost two seconds flat: **

Jett had given me a file of Katara's missions, she had never failed, not even once, but she only stayed at each job for a few months, then moved on to something else.

I was going up against a full-blown trained agent and taking her on would probably be the biggest challenge I had ever faced, or would ever face again. I guess it's a good thing I enjoy a challenge.

But for tonight, I was going to a party held by a friend of mine in the Earth Kingdom, and it was sure to be a smash. All I had to do was wait for the night to begin, and then it would be all fun, drinks, and women until dawn broke over the mountains.

Oh, yeah, tonight was going to be fun.

**The plot thickens, and just wait and see what happens. R&R, it gives me warm fuzzies, and I will love you forever.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know I've been forever in updating, but please don't kill me!**

**ATLA is not owned by me... But the storyline is and if you try to copy it I will come after you with a rusty spoon!**

Chapter 5

***Katara's P.o.v.***

I had never been very into parties after I got into my job, but I had attended several, because the rich and famous just couldn't resist showing everyone else just how rich and famous they were.

Parties had always been times I dreaded, because they just happen to be a bodyguard's worst nightmare. There were so many people and distractions, and all could be deadly if you relaxed in the slightest.

Tonight, however, I could afford to be a little indulgent, because the party Li had mentioned turned out to be a masquerade ball. I hadn't been to one of those in a while, so it could be fun. If I could even manage to relax enough to enjoy it which wasn't likely.

Well, I guess being a bodyguard can have its perks, the foremost being that it paid very well, at least for me it did, because I was at the level of expertise that allowed me to pick and choose my clients.

So maybe shopping wasn't one of my strong points, but for Suki it wasn't a problem. I've never spent so much time primping for one event, and I probably shouldn't have indulged her as much as I did, but hey, even I can afford to have fun sometimes, right?

After two and a half hours, we both finally settled on a deep blue skinny dress that hugged my curves just enough to make the boys use their imagination a little, and small, cap sleeves. It had a sweetheart neckline, high enough for people to tell that I wasn't intentionally showing off cleavage to make a statement. It had a lower waist, situated comfortably just above my hips, then flared out to the floor in graceful layers of fabric. There was also a slit up one side to my thigh.

Hmm, with a few adjustments, this could become a killer outfit. Literally.

After that, it was straight to the salon, where Suki made quick work of my hair, trimming and layering it, then pulling the top half into a loose bun and curling the rest, leaving two small curled strands on either side of my face. I couldn't tell if it was one of the latest fashions, but with Suki doing my hair, I didn't really have much choice in the matter. She wasn't a professional salon artist for nothing.

Most girls will pay her royalties to make them look more beautiful, but I got the same treatment for free. I had wanted to pay her, but she told me it could just count as my rent for the month.

We didn't worry too much about make-up, because a mask would be covering my face anyway, so all she did was add some sparkle around my eyes to accent them.

I had always had longer nails, not really because they were more fashionable, but because they just added another weapon to my arsenal (I broke my nail-biting habit at age ten, thank you). Suki and a friend of hers give me dark blue French tips to match my dress.

Now all we had to do was search for a mask, which was much easier said than done, let me tell you. Suki and I went through at least five different costume stores before we found one, but when we did, it was perfect. It was a small half-mask that covered my face from forehead to nose, with blue, lacey fabric studded with beads in different designs and lace around the edges, it had patterns all over it in dark silver thread, it was attached by a black elastic string around the back of my head.

"I think we did pretty well, considering that the party is in an hour." Suki said with satisfaction as she drove her small, compact sports car back to her house with me in the passenger seat. (Yes, Suki is the one with the sports car, not Sokka. She can be really scary behind the wheel during rush hour, believe me.)

"Suki, you know I hate shopping. The only reason I even agreed to this is because Li told me a contact of his would be there that I might be able to bet some information out of concerning the creep that kidnapped me."

I had filled her in on the circumstances surrounding my sudden appearance at her house on the trip, so she knew the whole story already.

"Kat, I'm not going to tell you how much I disapprove of this job of yours, because you already know, but I really wish you would be more careful with how you deal with these kinds of things. It won't help anyone for you to get revenge."

"You misunderstand me, Suki. I don't want to get revenge on the guy, I just want to know why he kidnapped me, and what he's planning for the princess. Like it or not, she was one of my former clients, and if I find out about a plot to abduct her, it's my responsibility to warn her about it, in the very least. Beside the fact that you know that I'll be carrying at least ten different weapons on me somewhere."

"Yes, I do, and that's what worries me. Take care of yourself out there, okay?"

"Sure thing, mom."

Suki reached over to smack me lightly before placing her hand back on the steering wheel.

At the ball

***Katara's P.o.v.***

Li had somehow found a tux before Suki and I got back (Not that it would have been hard, we were gone for at least five hours.) and was looking very nice with his traditional Water Tribe colors, a silver shirt with a deep azure tie and slacks to match. He had even gelled his hair back, which was new to me. He had a mask similar to mine, minus the lace and other feminine touches.

"What kind of a crowd are we looking at?" I asked as he led me up the steps as loud, obnoxious music poured out of the windows and open front door.

"Kids my age and younger. There might be some older people, but I don't know. You'll probably fit right in. Why do you want to know?"

"Fitting in is something I've never done, Li, and I don't plan to start now. Believe me, I'm not worried about it that much. It's better to know your enemy."

"How many weapons do you have on you?"

"Umm, fourteen? No, fifteen. I forgot on of the ones in my hair."

"Fifteen?" he bent to take a closer look at my bun. Ten small, seemingly innocent pins with blue jewels winked back at him.

"Ahh. I see your hair isn't as innocent as it looks. Where are the other five?"

"Let's see, I have one in each boot, two at my waist, and one in this." I held my necklace out to him so he could see it had the same design as my pins, only bigger and in more detail. "Oh, and there's one in my coat. That makes it sixteen, doesn't it? My bad."

"Geez, Kat, how many weapons can you use? Do you even ever leave the house unarmed?"

"No, not really. But most of the time I just carry one gun and a water bag. It just makes me feel better to carry so many, though it might have been a little over-kill, now that I think of it. But I had all this nice jewelry, and it just happened to match my dress. I couldn't resist."

"Were they like that when you got them, or did you customize them?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and leading me through the front door after showing the bouncers his invitation.

"I have a jeweler friend that loves to create what he calls 'beautiful and dangerous art'. I've picked up quite a few things like this from him over the years."

We entered into the ballroom, and the music was so loud that we couldn't talk anymore. Li went off the join a group of his friends, and I sat in a chair by the wall, content to analyze the people on the dance floor.

Everyone has their own style of dance, and it can tell you a lot about the personalities of the people 'gettin' down' on the dance floor.

I was trained on professional ballroom, but the movements the teens were making intrigued me. I remembered going to dances like this as a teenager myself, but it seems like the styles had changed a bit.

What it looked like to me was that they were all trying to have vertical sex with their clothes on, but maybe that's just my opinion.

Five songs(and many a scandalous scene later) Li came up to tell me that his friend couldn't see us until after the party. I just shrugged, figuring that this would happen, and a slow song came on.

"Kat, will you dance with me?" Li asked, a playful glint in his dark eyes.

"It would depend on what you are planning to dance, Li." I said, teasing him right back. Oh, gosh, please don't tell me that I'm so deprived of male attention that I'm flirting with a twenty-year-old that just happens to be my sort-of adopted nephew. That's just sad. I'm twenty-three, for crying out loud.

"Waltz?"

"You're on, kid."

He led me to the center of the floor, and taking my right hand in his left and placing the other on my left shoulder blade, he guided me to start in a turning box. In ballroom, when you start with a new partner, you start with the most basic steps until you can get a feel for how your partner moves. Starting it off with a little more complicated move like a turning box right at the beginning told me that not only was Li confident in his abilities to lead, he was also issuing a challenge to me to be able to follow him.

I followed him with perfectionist precision, matching every step and even adding a few of my own to see if it would throw him off.

Neither of us had noticed, but a ring had formed around us with plenty of room to dance in, and most if not all of the people there were watching us move with grace across the floor. When Li swung me into a low dip for the finale, the group broke into loud applause, startling us both.

Pulling me back up, Li took my hand, and he bowed while I took a sweeping curtsy for the audience.

The DJ started another fast song, and the both of us were forgotten as the people started to dance again.

Li led me back into my seat, and there I waited until the music stopped.

"Listen, guys." The DJ said into his headset so we could all hear. "We're going to have a special treat tonight. A very good friend of our host that I'm sure you all know very well from previous parties has agreed to put on a firebending display for us!"

There was loud cheering, obviously this 'friend of our host' had performed for these people before, and they liked him.

A firebending display, huh? I hadn't been to the Fire Court for several years, so this could be just another idiot showing off, or it could be someone with real skill. Either way, this had become an interesting night.

***Zuko's P.o.v.***

I heard the customary cheering before I jumped onto the stage, flames trailing from both of my closed fists to explode on the ground, announcing my entrance.

"How is everyone doing tonight?" I ask, tipping a mic to catch my voice. Loud cheers and cries of "I love you Zuko!" from a few of the girls was my answer, and I threw a winning smile into the crowd.

"We're going to have a great show tonight. I've been working on some more advanced bending for you guys, and I think you'll like it."

More cheers, but I noticed a woman in the front row in a blue dress and mask just sitting there, arms across her chest, looking at me with an intensity I couldn't figure out. Oh well. On with the show.

I kept true to my promise, showing my audience some of the older favorites, then stepping up the intensity with more advanced moves, keeping the crowd entertained throughout.

I ended with blowing fire over the heads of the people, all the while looking to see what effect it would have on the girl in blue, but she wasn't even phased by the move. As a matter of fact, she seemed to have expected it.

Uproarious applause serenaded the end of my performance, but there was one difference. The girl in the front didn't even clap for me, not even once. What was her problem, anyway? A chick as hot as her should be impressed with my bending, not turn her nose up at it.

I guessed by her clothing that she was Water Tribe, but that didn't seem to be the reason. And what clothing it was, too. A skinny, curve-hugging deep blue dress with a sweet heart neckline, small cap sleeves, and a slit up one side to show the darkly tanned skin of her leg up to mid-thigh.

She certainly had the right body type for it, and it looked very flattering, but I was almost hoping for a little more skin. A blue mask covered most of her face, but I could still see the brilliance of her blue eyes. They almost looked familiar, but you'd think I'd remember a girl with a body like that.

Music started again, and I sought her out to ask for a dance. I've always loved a good mystery.

***Katara's P.o.v. ***

My heart almost stopped when I heard his voice come over the speakers, it was the man that kidnapped me, it had to be, no one else's voice could come close to his distinctive tone.

However, I didn't get the job I had by losing my composure at every small surprise, and I managed to maintain an air of calm indifference as his performance continued.

I had seen this fire dance before several years ago in the Fire Court. Princess Azula had performed it for her father at a time when I had been recruited to be a body guard for one of the older nobles by the Fire Lord himself. Something about a rebellion against one of his favorite puppets, or whatever the excuse was at the time...

But in any case, I was more impressed with this performance than with the Princess'. Azula was obsessed with power, and it showed in her dancing. There was little to no emotion in hers, just a cold, calculated execution of movement. This man was obviously enjoying what he was doing, and the seamless fluid motion of his movements intrigued me. Most firebenders don't move that way, it's more my type of bending, and a little of air.

With a flourish, he finished by blowing fire over the heads of the crowd, but he seemed to be looking right at me as he did so, almost as if he did it just to see my reaction. How odd. I didn't think I was doing anything to attract his attention, but maybe I was wrong.

Anyway, his performance ended, and I was free to go back into my chair in the corner. You know, I'm really starting to like that chair. It's so nice to me, and it lets me sit on it, and it doesn't judge me, and- Did I really just start spouting the virtues of a chair? Wow, all this stress must be getting to me. Either that or I'm sleep deprived. I don't think I am, but I don't really know what time I got to Sokka's last night, so maybe…

Li knocked me out of my latest train of thought by snapping his fingers in front of my nose. Faster than he could see, I grabbed his hand in a very painful hold.

"If you ever do that again, I with break all of your fingers one by one and enjoy it." I muttered darkly, glowering at him.

"Ow, ow, ow. Kat, leggo me! I was just trying to get your attention!" he said, struggling in my grip.

"Yeah, but there are better ways to do it." I shot back, twisting his wrist just before I released it.

"Geez, remind me to never get on your bad side. Kat, you're scarier than heck when you're pissed off." Li said, rubbing his wrist.

"Sorry, I've been in to many near-death experiences to let people touch me very much, especially when I'm zoned out." I gave him a stern look. "Don't do it again."

"I won't. Good heavens, Kat, you're so violent."

"Comes with the job description, kiddo." I shoot back, ruffling his hair.

"Excuse me, might I have this dance?" a gruff tenor timbre broke into our conversation, and my blood ran cold.

**R&R. It makes my entire week.**

**Happy New Year.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I gots a laptop! Look forward to faster updates, they are on the way.**

**Don't own. Would love to, but don't.**

Chapter 6

***Katara's P.o.v. ***

Please don't tell me that's who I think it is. I quickly looked over to see it was the guy that kidnapped me. Crap, I'm so screwed. Then I remembered that I had several weapons and a large amount of water at my disposal, and I relaxed a little.

"Where you addressing me?" I asked, turning my head coyly and fluttering my lashes at him.

"Indeed I was." He answered, flirting just as much as I was.

"Indeed you can." I said, and he took one of my hands and led me onto the dance floor.

A slower song started, probably one of the more recent popular songs, because I saw several people singing along.

He moved closer and placed his hands on my waist, and I almost stiffened, thinking of the collapsible staff I had hidden there, but he didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, so I moved my arms up to encircle the back of his neck like I saw other girls doing. I hope this kind of modern dancing isn't complicated, because I've never even seen it before, but he was gentle in leading me from side to side in a simple rocking motion, so I wasn't worried.

"So, my pretty lady, may I be graced with a name?" He asked, bending his head down so his lips were next to my ear, which I really didn't think was necessary.

"Wouldn't you like it better if I remained a mystery? You seem the type to be more intrigued by such." I said, pulling back ever so slightly only to feel the pressure around my waist increase.

"Ah, but if it were left at that, you would disappear without so much as a glass slipper, and I rather like the fact that I'm holding you captive at the moment."

Was it just my imagination, or did his voice just drop an octave? Inwardly I smiled. He had reacted just the way I thought he was going to. He knew exactly who I was, or at least had a good idea, and he was very aware of the fact that if he lost hold of me, I would be gone like fog before the sunlight.

Well, it couldn't hurt to test my little theory a little further.

"I don't know, you're making me a little uncomfortable. I'm not sure if I want to stay here." I started to pull away with a little more force, but he only gripped me tighter, refusing to let go.

"But, I wanted to get to know you, because I think you're beautiful." He whispered into my ear, and I stopped struggling. "Will you at least listen to me, Katara?"

Uh-oh. He knows my name. That's a problem. My name is notorious in the underworld as being a person you didn't want to go up against due to the fact that I never failed a job.

"And why should I, _**Prince Zuko**_?" I felt him stiffen at the mention of his name and title.

"How did you find out?" he asked softly, making the both of us resume the slow rocking motion of the dance.

"Intuition, mostly. I spent some time in the Fire Court under the orders of your father. You can't help but hear all of the gossip about the banished prince that received a scar from his father. I also know you fit the age, and there aren't too many leading mercenaries that are firebenders as well."

"I guess I underestimated you again." He said softly. "But I also want you to know that I happen to have been in contact with a man named Jett."

I almost hissed and recoiled away from him just for mentioning the name.

"So he's at it again. How dare he think that he can just send someone after me and expect that I'll return to his side like a well-trained dog. He's gonna get it for this."

*** Zuko's P.o.v. ***

I almost panicked when she started to pull away the first time, and involuntarily my hands tightened. I couldn't let her go, not now when I had her in my grasp again.

It was surprising when I saw her up close, and the moment she spoke to me I knew it was her.

She stiffened when I spoke her name, every muscle tensed to run, but her reply caught me off guard.

Very few people know about my past, and here is a girl that knows nothing about me and still manages to guess. An even bigger surprise was her violent reaction just to Jett's name. What did he do to her that made her hate him so much? Even though it was my job to bring in Katara, I wanted to know the story.

The song ended, and I led her out one of the side doors to continue our conversation uninterrupted.

"Why do you hate him so much?" I asked, not letting go of her hand.

"Because he tried to take advantage of the fact that I was young. I always knew there was a reason his sister wouldn't let me stay in his room at night, and two months after I took the job, I found out why. I was doing my customary check of the halls before going to bed, and he poked his head out of his room and told me he thought he saw something suspicious. I went in to check, and while I was out by the balcony, he locked the door and tried to get me to sleep with him, saying that he couldn't contain himself and that he loved me. I refused, knowing that he didn't love me, and the only thing he really loved was himself.

"I knew then that I needed to end the job, so I left his room, grabbed one of the resignation letters I always keep handy, gave it to his sister, and left. He wasn't too happy when he found out. I always figured he was going to send someone after me eventually."

"Yeah, that sounds like him. He wants you pretty badly. He even cancelled my job against his sister and is paying me three times what I was earning from my other clients. I can't say your story surprises me. I've always seen him as a more shady kind of guy."

I felt sick inside after hearing her reasons, and wondered how old she had been when it happened.

"So, bounty hunter." She said, calling my attention back to her. "What happens now? Are you going to try to catch me, or can we go our separate ways and pretend you never saw me here?"

"I don't know, Jett's paying me quite a lot of money to bring you in. It seems like a waste."

"A friendly challenge, then. You'll try to catch me, and I will try to escape. Fair enough?"

I thought for a moment. "If I win, does that mean I get to keep you?"

"No. Can we go back inside now? I'm starting to get cold, and my date is waiting."

"Whoa, you came here with a date?"

She smiled smugly at my reaction. "Yes, as a matter of fact you saw him when you asked me to dance."

*** Katara's P.o.v. ***

Almost as if I had called him, Li appeared, looking for me.

"Kat, my friend can see you now…" He started to say, but stopped as he saw the figure standing next to me.

"Li, my love!" I cried, running and jumping on him and managing to knock us both to the ground.

"Kat, what are you doing?" he whispered through clenched teeth.

"Just play along and we'll get out of this alive." I shot back at just as low a volume. "That man wants to kidnap me again, only on purpose this time."

"Oh, my gosh, Li, are you alright?" I asked in a louder tone, faking concern I didn't really feel.

"I may never recover." He said snootily, raising his nose into the air as he stood up, pulling me with him. "You may have mortally injured me."

"Oh, please don't tell me that, Li, I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you."

"Um, excuse me, can I…?" Zuko started to say, then stopped as he saw the look on Li's face.

"So you're the one that took her away from me, you fiend! How dare you try to steal my love from me." I looked up at Li in amazement after his bold statement, thinking that maybe he was getting a little _too_ into character. I mean, really, what kind of respectable guy says a word like 'fiend'? It just makes him sound like a pansy.

Okay, I need to step in before this gets out of hand.

"Li, it's alright, he wasn't hurting me, and it was just a dance." I say, looking up at him with big eyes, trying to give him a hint to knock it off, but he took it as just the opposite.

"My fair Kat, you are too good to the man that lured you into this deserted place to take what is most important to you. I cannot forgive someone who wishes your beauty such a wrong. He must pay for this!"

Crap. Now we're all screwed.

"Please don't fight, I can't have you hurt just because of me! Instead let us leave this place, where we may remain undisturbed in each other's company." I placed one hand on his cheek to turn his head towards me, looking every bit the love-struck girl I was acting.

"I cannot be harmed with you to support me." He whispered to me, looking deeply into my eyes with an emotion I couldn't fathom.

Uh-oh, looks like this is going to backfire on me. I guess the only solution is to make it so awkward Li has to back down. I mean, it isn't like he likes me or anything, so he can't let it get that bad.

Or maybe he can. I almost jumped when Li slid his arms around my waist, holding me with a gentle yet firm grasp and pulled me against him.

"Li, if you do not let me go right this second, I swear I will kill you. And coming from a person like me, that isn't an idle threat." I hissed at him, trying to squirm free without making it obvious I was doing so.

"You should know better than that, Katara." He whispered back. "We can't get away with this if we don't go all the way. It's one of the basic rules of acting."

"In whose book?" I demanded, but didn't manage to get any farther, because his lips came down on mine with a force that almost rivaled violence.

But I knew he was right, and I couldn't back down now that he had instigated the move. What should have been a gentle lover's kiss turned rough as one of his hands moved up to cradle the back of my head, and I in turn wrapped mine around his neck, tangling my fingers in his soft hair as he deepened the kiss.

Wait a minute, when did he get so practiced at this? It had been a while since someone had led me with such finesse, and he tasted like fresh mint. I have to admit that I was actually enjoying his kiss, but it was still awkward because he was being taken care of by my brother and sister-in-law. And though I knew that he hadn't been legally adopted by my brother, it still kind of felt like I was his aunt. And he was younger. But none of that really seemed to matter at the moment, which was rather odd to me, because I'd always been able to keep my head, no matter what the situation.

So it wasn't me trying to kill him, but rather a lack of air that forced us to break apart, and he continued to hold me, giving me a look that couldn't have been mistaken for anything but the emotion it portrayed, but I didn't choose to accept it, and merely looked back, trying to tell him that we were just acting, and that it didn't mean anything, but I had seen that look on another man's face before, and I knew he wouldn't believe me if I told him.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, looking down, unable to meet his eye.

"Are you two done, or do I need to leave?" Zuko asked uncertainly, managing to break the moment.

"Not until my lady is avenged-" Li started to say, but I stopped him.

"Let's just leave." I said softly, willing him to just listen to me, and apparently something in my voice tipped him off, because he took my hand and led me away.

"Okay. We'll go."

We walked for a few moments to get around to the front of the house.

"We need to get out of here fast. Where's your bike?" I asked in a lowered tone as we got further away from Zuko.

"Just out front. Where do you want to go?" Now that we had left, it seemed as though our kiss had never happened, and it was just back to business.

"I'm taking you back home, and then I'll get low for a while. Probably stay in a hotel, pay with cash."

"I'm going with you."

"Li, no you aren't. It's bad enough to have to look after myself in these situations, and I can't deal with the added stress of having to look after you at the same time."

"Because of what?" he demanded, stopping abruptly. "Because you think I can't defend myself, is that it? You don't want to have to babysit me? I can take care of myself, a fact you should well know by now."

"Li, we do not have time for this. If you want to stay because your manly pride will be hurt if you don't, then be my guest. Unfortunate as it may be, you're past the age where I can tell you what you can and can't do."

"Okay." He answered, his voice lowering again to a normal volume, and we continued the walk to his bike.

*** Zuko's P.o.v. ***

I may have seemed collected on the outside, but inside my blood was boiling with rage.

How dare that guy interrupt, and how dare Katara react to him in such a way! Just thinking about how passionate the kiss they shared was enough to make me want to kill something in an extremely violent way.

I had finally made up my mind. Regardless of what their past history was, Jett was still paying me so much that it was ridiculous, and I will find her and bring her to him, and I don't care how long it takes. I couldn't forgive her for doing that with him.

And I know that she seemed hesitant at first, but that vanished when their lips touched.

Zuko, stop thinking about it. It's just going to make you more angry. Focus on the task at hand and find her.

**Uh-oh, Zuko's jealous. Wonder where this is going. R&R, it earns you virtual brownie points.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I updated really fast, so you have to appreciate the effort I put into this.**

**Disclaimer: Isn't mine.**

Chapter 7

*** Katara's P.o.v. ***

We had been driving for at least an hour and a half before we found a small, slightly run-down motel to stay the night in.

I checked in with the desk clerk while Li made a call to Suki to tell her that we were alright, but it might be some time before we could see the family again.

She replied that it didn't surprise her in the slightest that I had left, but she was sad about Li not coming home.

"Mom, you know that if I'm with Kat, I'll be safe, and besides, you were going to have to let me go soon anyway." Li had always called Sokka and Suki Mom and Dad ever since they took him in, and I knew that Suki had taken him in to fill the gap she had felt since finding out she couldn't have any of her own children.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it." She shot back, then sighed. "I want to stop you, but you are old enough that I can't tell you what you can and can't do, and we both know it. Be careful, Li. I love you."

"I love you to, Mom. Give my love to the girls."

"I will, goodbye."

"'Bye."

Li jumped when he saw me standing behind him.

"We both need to get some new clothes and at least a few hours of sleep before we head out again. Any preference for food?"

"No, not really. What do you want me to do?"

"Go up to the room. I'll bring everything with me when I come up." I handed him one of the keys. "We're in 105."

He left, and I continued on my way to the motel's gift shop. It was surprisingly well stocked for such a small place, and I was able to find four outfits for each of us, along with some non-perishable food for the road ahead.

I was lugging my purchases up the stairs (I don't believe in elevators unless the floor you're going to is really high up.) when a sudden thought struck me. I hadn't asked for a room with two beds. Oh well. If there's only one, I'll sleep on the couch.

Finally reaching our room, I knocked, then about dropped everything when Li opened the door. In trying to make himself more comfortable, he had taken off his suit jacket and tie, and unbuttoned his shirt to the third button down. He had also untucked his shirt, and his slacks hung lower than they normally would have.

"Li, get some appropriate clothing on!" I scolded, attempting to brush past him to get into the room, but he refused to move, and taking the bags from my hands and setting them down, he then slid his arms around my waist.

"Kiss me again and I'll let you in the room." He challenged, standing solidly in my way.

"You do know that I could knock you out seven different ways right now and move you myself, don't you? What makes you think I'm going to kiss you again? That was supposed to just be acting, and if you hadn't manipulated the situation to the point that I couldn't refuse without blowing my cover, it never would have happened in the first place."

Li looked surprised, then hurt, and finally angry, and he turned away from me, his arms going back to his sides.

"You know I've been in love with you since before I went to you for help, and I've only grown more so every time I've seen you since then? I thought you wanted me to, and don't lie to me and tell me that you didn't enjoy it, because we both know you did." His dark hair hid his eyes, and I couldn't see his expression.

"Li, it can't be like that for us." I placed a gentle hand on his arm, imploring him to understand my situation. "Regardless of whether I like it or not, I can't get involved with people romantically in my line of work, because they can be used against me, and that isn't fair to them. I can't just turn my back on them and leave them to die because of me, and though I am willing to sacrifice my life to get them back, I can't prevent them from getting killed too."

"But what if I understand that, and I'm willing to take that risk? What if I'm willing to die for you as well?" Excitement welled in his voice when I didn't interrupt him. "Will you disrespect me so much as to not allow me even that in my life, a life that was a living nightmare before I met you? I don't care about the consequences, I want you. All of you, even if it means putting myself in danger."

"But, Li, I can't let you take that kind of a risk just because of me."

"And who are you to decide what I can do?" he demanded, grasping my arms roughly.

"You are treading on dangerous ground, Li, and if I have to get you out of the way, I will do so without hesitation. Don't you think for one second that you can overpower me, because it isn't going to happen. If you feel the need to use brute strength, I warn you, there are ways to turn that strength against you."

The rage slowly faded from his eyes, and he released my arms, moving aside so I could pass into the room.

"I'm sorry." He said, his head low with his bangs covering his eyes. "Sometimes I just can't help it."

"I know it's hard for you, Li, but I'm not turning you down because I think it wouldn't work. I think that in a different circumstance, it could work very well, but I can't take that risk, and regardless of what you might be willing to do, I can't let you take it either. And that is my decision to make."

Bending down and picking up a few of the bags after I checked their contents, I called out Li's name, and he poked his head out of the walk-in closet he had gone into only to get smacked in the face with the purchases I had made for him.

"I got you some clothes. You should change into something a little more appropriate."

He stuck his tongue out at me before closing the door to change, and I was glad that we had been able to get along again.

Smiling to myself, I pulled out some clothing for myself and went into the bathroom to change.

I had some trouble with my hair, but finally got it loose and changed into a pair of baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Emerging from the bathroom with my hair still dripping from my shower, I saw Li fast asleep on the couch. Idiot, I wanted that. Hotel beds are always too comfortable.

Oh, well. He looked so comfortable, so I decided not to bug him. I curled up on top of the covers and was soon asleep.

***Zuko's P.o.v. ***

I had to find her, and there were ways of finding out what I needed to know. It was obvious that she'd want to try to get out of town before I could find out where she was staying, especially since I had told her that I was going after her. That probably wasn't my smartest idea, but it was too late to take it back now.

First things first, I needed to get back to my hotel for the night. My computer was there, and I could do some more research on where she might be.

I would also need some help from a few old friends. I flipped open my phone and hit the speed-dial button as I opened the door of my black convertible with red flames along the front.

"Blind Bandit, I need to ask a favor."

"This better be good, Sparky."

***Katara's P.o.v. ***

Li was awake before me, and brought me some biscuits with gravy from the continental breakfast downstairs to help me wake up.

"I need to go and see if I can get some of my stuff from your parent's place," I told him after we'd both finished eating. "Do you want to come with or stay here?"

"I think I'll stay. Mom was pretty hysterical last night, so giving her some time is probably the best idea. Were you okay last night? You woke me up a few times."

"No," I said quickly, then winced at how fake it sounded, even to me. I don't like to talk about the nightmares I have, from past jobs and fights. The worst is from when I was young, and my parents were killed, but it isn't something I really want to dwell on. It's too sad. "I'm alright. Do you want to come or not?"

"No, I think I'm alright. How are you going to get there?"

"I'm stealing your bike. Where are the keys?"

"Oh. My left pocket in my slacks. I'm going to go down to swim."

"In what?" I didn't remember getting him any swimwear.

"The nude. I have a bet with the desk clerk. She's hot." He answered, his face completely straight.

"Tell me you're kidding. The point is to be low-key, and that is exactly the opposite."

He murmured something too low for me to hear, but I caught some of it that sounded like, "…You're just jealous because the hot desk clerk likes my body…"

I shot him an incredulous look. "I'm jealous of the hot desk clerk? Since when? I haven't even seen her. And I never said I thought you had a nice body." Well, it was nicely toned and he looked good, but I had first seen him in his awkward adolescent years, so I wasn't going to tell him that. Gawky teenage boys tend to leave an impression, especially if you find out they like you later on in life.

"I didn't say anything, what are you talking about?" He gave me an odd look we both knew was completely fake.

"Go swim, you testosterone-filled idiot male."

"Fine, I will." With all the wounded pride of a three-year-old, he stomped out in a huff, then had to come back in because he forgot his towel. No words were exchanged, but I had to fight back the urge to laugh at him as he left again.

"Wow, you're mature." I muttered to myself just before he walked back out the door, but he either didn't hear me or just chose not to react to the comment.

I was still smiling to myself as I went into the bathroom to change, and I heard the door open again. He really can't have forgotten something twice in a row, could he? I was about to open the door and tease him when I heard someone breathing on the other side, and it didn't sound like Li.

Not moving, one hand around the knob and the other flat on the door, I pressed my ear to the wood to better hear the pattern.

"I know you're in there, so you might as well save us both the trouble and come out." A voice called, one that was unfamiliar to me, and it was surprisingly high pitched, so the person had to be a girl.

"No, I really don't feel the need. I kind of like the fact that there's a door between you and me, especially if you were send by who I think you were."

"I could change that." The girl replied, sounding oddly cheerful. "Anyway, Zuko wants to send you a message. He says you can have your guy back if you exchange yourself for him, since you seem to love him so much."

"Tell Zuko he can have him." I called back through the door. "I don't want him back."

**Da-da-dun. A ploy to save him, or does she really not want him back? Review, people! I won't update again until you do. And no subscribing and running away. I will come after you.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back! I need feedback, people, if you want a faster update.**

Chapter 8

*** Zuko's P.o.v. ***

Dang that woman and her schemes! I should have known that the guy she was with was only a distraction, that she was only using him so I would focus on something other than her. Come to think of it, she was also using me too, and I really didn't like the feeling of being played like a well-tuned instrument. But that was off-topic anyway.

"What do you mean, she said she doesn't want him back?" I demanded from the short girl in front of me.

"She said she doesn't want him back," The girl said, slowing down her speech and enunciating her words carefully like I was an idiot that couldn't hear very well. "And she was telling the truth. At least about the part where she said you can have him. I'm not so sure about the rest."

"I don't want him either! He was just supposed to be a bartering tool, and then I could get rid of him! He's already driving me nuts with his 'Katara this,' and 'Katara that,' speeches! I'm about ready to kill him, and to heck with the consequences!"

The girl looked at me, or at least in my general direction, and cocked her head to the side.

"Sparky, have you been getting enough sleep? I think you're a little grumpy."

"Toph, this exceeds grumpy. This is as close as you can get to killing someone without actually doing it."

She just continued to look at me with an amused expression, then finally spoke.

"Wow, Zuko. Now, if you're finished with your toddler immaturity fit, can we get back to business? I have a fitting in fifteen minutes, and I don't want to be late again."

"A fitting for what?"

"My wedding dress. Didn't you notice the ring?" She held out her hand so I could admire the silver engagement ring she was wearing.

"Since when did you get some poor idiot to marry you? Oh, Agni, don't tell me you got knocked up with that fool earthbender you drank under the table a few weeks ago."

She didn't even look phased. "No, Haru was already stoned that night, and I couldn't wake him up. I'm engaged to an airbender."

"I thought you said they weren't your type."

"Since when have you known what my type is?"

"I know everything."

"Then how come you didn't know I was engaged?"

"Shut up."

"Can I go now?"

"Yes."

I waited until she had left the room, then turned and went through another door hidden behind a Fire Nation flag and into a narrow passageway with metal steps that led up to the deck.

"Captain!" I called as I emerged from the stairway.

"Yes, my lord?" He asked, bowing slightly in my direction.

"I would like to borrow a few of your men."

"I see. You won't maim any of them permanently, will you? I'd hate to have to hire more, especially with the blocks on the Fire Nation border."

"They won't die, and I won't purposefully damage someone beyond repair. That's all I can promise."

"Hmm. I'll call a few onto the training deck for you."

I nodded my approval, and he turned to call his men. I never knew why the older man had stayed with me after my banishment, but he had told me it was because he was doing a favor to my uncle. I might own the ship, but that doesn't mean I know how to run it. I leave all the navigating and ship management to the captain, and he leaves all the financial decisions up to me. It's a nice arrangement, and we both get along well because of it.

I almost smiled when I saw the ten men he had assembled at my request. My captain knew me well.

***Katara's P.o.v. ***

I should have known that idiot was going to get into trouble. Why I trusted someone as untrained as he was, I don't know, but Suki's going to kill me.

Now, I needed to get him back without seeming like I needed to get him back. I rather like my head where it is, and my neck would seem barren without it, which is what would happen if I told Suki I had lost her favorite child.

I really couldn't do much at the moment, but unless I miss my guess, Zuko didn't have the patience to keep Li for very long, especially if he was purposefully being annoying.

So all I really had to do at this point was send a message to the creeper that wanted me kidnapped.

***Zuko's P.o.v ***

I emerged from the training grounds sweaty and tired, but feeling much better than I had before I entered it, only to find a small blue box, about the size of a DVD, lying on my bed.

My laptop was already charging, so I turned it on and popped in the disk. I was extremely surprised at the image that popped up.

Katara sat looking at the camera, looking at me, and then she began to speak.

"I realize this is something different for you, so I'm going to make it as easy as possible to understand. Realize that you are perfectly free to reject this offer, but that I will think considerably less of you if you do.

"I propose a single combat between you and me to decide the outcome of the tasks given you by your employer. You may use as many weapons as you wish, and feel free to bend if it makes you want to. Meet me at the place it all began in a week. Don't keep me waiting."

The image vanished, and I left the room to go talk to my captain. I didn't notice the shadowy figure that slipped into my room and took back the disk, leaving me a rather nasty surprise.

***Katara's P.o.v.***

It had been a while since I'd been required to use the sneaking skills I'd acquired as a spy, and it almost felt good to use them again. After Zuko watched my video, I snuck back into his room to retrieve it.

The disk was actually a prerecorded message, this wasn't the first time I'd had a hostage situation, and I didn't want to leave any evidence. After leaving a very expensive mess in Zuko's room, I left. Some habits are hard to break, and I knew Jett would have to pay for it all, which made it all the more pleasurable. Pulling up the schematic for the ship in my head, I made my way to Li's cell. There are advantages to having a photographic memory and being a hacker. I had managed to lift quite a bit of Zuko's files from his computer before he came into the room. There was a lot of incriminating information on that machine. Oh, the blackmail I could use to get even with him, but Li was my focus at the moment, and I had to get him out before we were both caught by guards.

Reaching the door of his cell, I could see him slouched against the back wall, head bowed and eyes closed like he was sleeping.

"Come to try and get more information about Katara again? Or are you just here to feed me?" He asked as I silently picked the lock and opened the door. He didn't notice, and I had to bite back a snicker. If this was how he was treating Zuko, I wouldn't be surprised if the bounty hunter had been breathing steam.

"Well, I was planning on rescuing you, but if you want me to come back later when your schedule isn't so full, I might consider it." I said, leaning lazily back against one side of the doorframe of his now open jail cell, checking my nails. Which reminds me, I need to get them filed, but that can come later.

"Katara!" His eyes shot open, and he lurched forward on legs not yet used to walking.

"Hello, Li. Ready to go? I'd rather not get caught with you in the state you're in." I drawled, giving him an impish smile and raising one eyebrow in his direction.

"Yeah, let's go. You wouldn't believe some of the things he wanted to do to me."

"Actually, I can. And I could give him some pointers on torture. You don't look all that bad, considering you've been here at least twenty-four hours. Zuko must be soft."

"I wouldn't say that. You can't see most of what he did, and let me tell you, it was extremely painful."

I looked at him for a moment, then said, "I don't even want to know, so don't tell me. Come on, we need to get out of here."

**R&R, it earns you virtual brownie points and makes me more motivated to update.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I live! Hope you like it!**

Chapter 9

***Zuko's P.o.v.***

I hadn't been to my room since Katara had sent her message, so I was totally unprepared for the sight that greeted me when I saw what she did. Blue paint had been splashed all over my room from floor to ceiling, covering all my very expensive Fire Nation tapestries, floor rugs, and bed. She even went through the trouble to pour paint into my bureau, effectively ruining all my clothing except what I was wearing. To add insult to injury, she had even propped a note on my bed, cheerfully telling me to 'Have a nice day!' I swear, I'm going to kill that woman if it's the last thing I do.

***Katara's P.o.v.***

Even driving as fast as I could, it still took us several hours to get to Suki and Sokka's house.

She was furious at me for allowing her baby to be kidnapped, but then softened when she found out I had rescued him not long after, and she was perfectly willing to help me make the final adjustments to my outfit for the fight. In the meantime, I had Sokka pull up whatever he could find on Zuko and Jett. I already knew most things, but there's no such thing as being too prepared.

A day before the fight was scheduled, I bought a plane ticket so I could survey the alleyway where I was first attacked, finding all of the escape routes, nooks, and crannies where I could hide things that would help me. Probably not the most cost-effective thing to do, but I have money to burn, so what the heck. Besides the fact that I knew it was going to be a knock-down drag-out fight, and I certainly wasn't opposed to playing dirty to win. I was even willing to run away, if that was what it took to keep myself free.

My sensei always told me that if you're going to fight someone, turn up late and stand in the sun, so not only are they irritated, they can't see you. If someone is angry, they are less in control of themselves. Rage is a powerful ally, and if you can keep a cool head when your opponent can't, you have the advantage. In this case, I took it a step further, even though it isn't like me to go so overboard. Well, there is the fact that I blew out the pipes in his bathroom, but even that was a little extreme. I guess Zuko's just more fun to irritate than most.

Speaking of which, I wonder what he's doing to prepare and clean up that nasty surprise I left him…

***Zuko's P.o.v.***

It took my men five hours to get all of the dry paint off the walls, floor, and ceiling of my room, and then it took me another two and a half to get all the rust and other metal damaging substances from my sabres from sitting in a wet, sticky substance for several hours. They had unfortunately been hanging on the wall when Katara decided to redecorate my room.

All of my clothing, bed clothes, tapestries, and rugs had to be replaced; they had been in paint for so long they weren't worth saving. I told Jett that he was going to have to pay for it all, because it happened while I was chasing after his girl. He's going to owe me big for this one.

I had also told him that he was paying all of the other damages she had done, including my bathroom. He wasn't too happy about it, but he was very interested to know that she had wanted to fight it out with me, winner take all. Jett said he'd never heard of her doing something like that before, but I guess that was just because she was trying to save the guy I had kidnapped.

Speaking of which, I hadn't checked on him in a while, and I didn't think he had a permanent guard. I called up one of the men and told him go check on the prisoner, and then opened my computer, which seemed to be the only unscathed part of my room. There was a note taped to the top of the keyboard.

It read:

"Dear Zuko,

"Your computer has been programmed with a fail-safe password. If you try to log on, it will automatically delete all of your files, including all the files that contain information on me. You have three chances to guess the password, and they have to all be made at the same time, or all your data will go bye-bye. That way you can't try one guess, then wait a week for new information before you try again. Just in case you're worried about all that incriminating information, don't be. I managed to get copies that I can now use however and whenever I please. However, if you manage to beat me in our little stand-off, I will be more than happy to give your things back to you, along with the new password for your computer.

"Just as an insurance that you don't get cold feet, thinking you have all the advantages. By the way, you may want to check your cells. They may be minus an occupant or two by the time you get this.

"Sincerely,

"K"

Please don't tell me she got him back. Please, please, please don't tell me she got him back. That was my biggest advantage, and if that's gone…

Just that moment, the man I sent to check on the prisoner came back. I stopped him before he could say anything.

"Walk with me for a minute," I told him, leading the way to the upper deck. "Let me guess, you're going to say that the prisoner wasn't there."

"Yes sir." The man said softly.

"Thank you, you may leave now."

The man scurried away as I took a deep breath, then, after checking that he was gone, I let out a yell, releasing all of my anger and frustration and annoyance in a concentrated blast of fire the shape of a giant phoenix at least twice the size of the ship into the clear winter sky.

I had had enough abuse from this woman. She had pushed me around, played me like a small schoolboy, and like an idiot, I fell for it. But there's a time when you have to put your foot down and say enough. It was time that woman learned the power of the Prince of the Fire Nation.

*** Katara's P.o.v.***

Suki and I were driving home when we saw it. A giant phoenix made out of flames shot into the sky, and I knew from the direction that it was from the ship and harbor I had come from several hours ago. There was a large distance between there and here, but it was so big that I could see all the details, down to the shapes of the feathers and the eyes of blue flame. A beautiful array of color danced over the shape, the yellow, orange, and red of a regular campfire mingling with the blues and greens of a hotter fire, and the beast opened its mouth, letting out a cry that seemed to vibrate the ground, and pure white flame shot from its open beak.

The only other time I had seen something so powerful was during an attack on the Fire Palace, and General Iroh had been swarmed by an army of earth benders. I couldn't understand why he just stood there, allowing them to surround them, and then, taking a deep breath, he let out a yell that released a giant phoenix made of flame. I was caught in the fringe blast, and had to spend several weeks in a critical attention hospital, submersed in healing water tanks 24/7 to try to prevent the burns from spreading to undamaged skin. General Iroh had been in the same hospital with minor injuries from the solders, helping those that hadn't died in the attack.

He gave special attention to me, knowing who I was and what I did for a living. The old man used to stand outside my tank even when the nurse told him to go and rest, and he told me about himself and his nephew, the banished prince, who was his pride and joy since his own son had died, and when I recovered enough to get out of the tank and start walking again, he showed me bending. I was skeptical at first, after all, he didn't even control the same element I did, but I soon came to realize he knew more about my element and culture than I did.

Respect was quick to form, and he became almost a father to me, teaching me things I could not have learned from another with less wisdom than him. He patiently took me through the steps of my recovery, always knowing when to put his foot down and when to be gentle, and he soon had to stop me from trying too hard and injuring myself again.

Patience was his ultimate lesson, and I always pictured him as a cool, clear pond with calm water, and nothing could disturb the tranquility of it. I owe him my life, and all that I am today because of his example

I smiled as I realized who the person was that had sent up the flame, and when Suki looked at me in a panic and said, "What the heck was that?", I merely laughed and said,

"Suki, that is a grown man throwing a temper-tantrum about a little paint and some stolen files." I continued to look in the direction I had seen it. "However, I probably should have banned him from bending in our little fight if he's that powerful. It might be the time to get in touch with an old man."

Suki looked at me oddly, but then continued our drive back to her house, and I excused myself to the guest bedroom, where I knew Sokka had a webcam set up. Locking the door, I booted up the computer, got on the internet, and sent a message, then waited.

No more than two minutes later, the computer pinged with a response, and I turned on the web cam to find myself face-to-face with a kind old man.

"Hello, Uncle. I need to ask you a few questions."

"Indeed you do, my dear. It seems you have gotten yourself into quite a predicament. How may I advise you?"

"It's about your nephew."

***Zuko's P.o.v.***

After I calmed down enough to stop breathing fire, my captain came to me and said, "Sir, I am glad you saw fit to not damage the boat in your tirade, but could you please refrain from such displays of anger in the future? It is rather unsettling to the crew, and we still have a ways to travel before we reach the place of your fight."

"I'm sorry, Captain, but that woman drives me to the brink of insanity! We're lucky I had the foresight to not damage the ship."

"Indeed. In the future, should you feel to urge to do something so reckless again, kindly throw yourself overboard into the water where you can't do any damage. You probably didn't even think about the energy requirements of such an outburst, did you? I'll bet you're a lot weaker now than you were this morning, and your fight with the lady is tomorrow evening."

I started to sway as the adrenaline faded from my system, and I knew I needed to sleep.

"I'm going to go to my cabin to sleep, so if you could keep a watch and make sure there's a large hot meal waiting when I awake, I would much appreciate it."

The captain only shook his head, grinning slightly as he saw me lurch across the deck to make it to the guest cabin, seeing as they still hadn't finished cleaning mine.

It may have been foolish to make such a display, but I felt such a release, and I now knew I could fight Katara with a clear head tomorrow. But until then, I was happy to just sleep.

**R&R please!**


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